National Park of Muránska planina (Plateau)

The National Park of Muránska planina with its wild mountain karstic landscape and minimum human interventions is located between central and eastern parts of Slovakia.

On the top of the peek, we find the fabled ruins of the Muráň Castle.

The Muránska planina plateau was designated the national park in 1997 on the area of cca 203 ha (501 ac) and protected area of 217 ha (536 ac). The administration of the National Park of Muránska planina seats in Revúca. The territory of the park contains numerous karstic springs, swallow holes, and jets, more than 300 caves and 15 abysses. Its terrain is refreshed by sink holes, grikes, canyons, rock towers, and rock windows. There is a dwarf pinewood at the lowest altitude in Slovakia (it grows at 750 m/2,461 ft above sea level). The predominating woods vary from oakwoods to beechwoods and from deal beechwoods to alpine spruce fir forests.

About 1,400 species of vascular plants grow here. The most distinguished plant of the territory is lykovec muránsky (Daphne arbuscula) - endemit and cenozoic relict of Muránska planina. There is a natural occurence of creodonts - grey wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx).

The points that offer the access for hiking are the villages Tisovec, Muráň and Červená Skala. Attractive places for hiking also include Závadka nad Hronom and saddleback Zbojská.